uits is proud and honoured to have won both the Exporter of the Year Award and the prestigious President’s Award at the Food and Drink Federation awards on 14 November.The judges recognised that UB has increased its sales outside of the UK and Northern Europe from just 5% of group turnover in 2006 to approximately 15% in 2013, with ambitions to make this 20% by 2016.
United Biscuits now sells its products in over 100 countries. It is already one of the fastest growing biscuit businesses in West Africa, the Middle East and India and is now expanding its footprint into China. Sales in 2013 have risen by 22%. The company has also worked hard to adapt its products to the local markets. For example a biscuit sold in Nigeria is fortified with vitamins and minerals that have been identified as deficient in the local population.
The judges were impressed that United Biscuits was bringing quintessentially British products such as the McVitie’s Digestive to a wide global audience and upholding the high standards of the British food industry. Having just announced the acquisition of a new manufacturing facility in the Middle East and with new distribution channels in China, this trend looks set to continue.
